Effect of lesimarin against thioacetamide-induced liver cirrhosis in rat

Abstract

Liver cirrhosis is one of chronic liver diseases with high disability and mortality accompanying fibrosis, hepatocyte damage, and liver dysfunction. In this study, the hepatoprotective and the antifibrotic properties of lesimarin(lecithin - silymarin - Artemisia messerschmitiana Besser(AMB) extract complex at 11:3:6 ratio) on rat hepatic fibrosis induced by thioacetamide (TAA) was investigated. Rats were divided into seven groups: control, lesimarin, TAA, TAA+lesimarin, TAA+lecithin, TAA+silymarin, TAA+AMB. Rats were administered with TAA at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight intraperitoneally twice a week for three months. Lesimarin, lecithin, silymarin and AMB were administered at a dose of 1.0, 1.0, 0.5, 1.0g/kg body weight orally daily for three months, respectively. TAA administration resulted in hepatic fibrosis, significant decrease in body weight, albumin level and A/G ratio and increase in plasma transaminase, GGT(γ-glutamyltransferase) and ALP(alkaline phosphatase) activities as well as hepatic hydroxyproline content, which were attenuated by lesimarin administration. Lesimarin was found to decrease AST, ALT and GGT, ALP and bilirubin, hydroxyproline levels and increase albumin level and A/G ratio and its effect is more prominent than those of individual constituents. These results suggest this new drug, lesimarin, might be a promising drug to be used for chronic liver diseases.